Refrigerated milk delivery vehicle



Jan- 8, 1952 P. KROHNRT 2,581,867

REFRIGERATED 4MILK DELIVERY VEHICLE Filed April 26, 1950 l A g ,f1g v *g'' INVENToR.

, PaaZ KMS-ner? atented Jan. 8, 1952 Application April 26, 1950, Serial No. 158,187 In Canada February 20, 1950 This invention relates to refrigerated vehicles for delivery of milk and the like.

It has frequently been proposed in the past to provide refrigerated vehicles for the transportation or delivery of perishable food products. The use of refrigerated motor trucks and like vehicles for the delivery of milk and dairy products has not been widespread, however, chiefly because of the impractical nature and prohibitive cost of such vehicles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated motor vehicle for the delivery of milk or the like, such vehicle having a structure arranged to ensure and promote an improved efficiency and economy in the handling of food products and to safeguard ingreater degree the quality of such products duringhandling.

The invention thus contemplates the provision of a motor vehicle for handling cases of food products, such vehicle having an operators cab, a refrigerated compartment accessible from the cab, an empty case-receiving compartment also accessible from the cab, and means in the cab for supporting a plurality of such cases in readily available relation to the operator.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a vehicle in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a partial sectional plan view,

Figure 3 is a partial sectional elevation of the forward end of the vehicle, and

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the rearward end of the vehicle.

In the drawing, I is a motor truck chassis of usual construction, and 2 a body constructed thereon in accordance with the invention.

The body comprises a floor 2', vertical side walls 3, a vertical rear wall 4, and a top Wall 5. A transversely extending partition 6 adjacent the forward end of the body divides the interior of the body into a main load-carrying rearward section I and a forward operators cab 8. Two partitions 9 each extending from the rear wall 4 to partition 6 divide section 'I into three longitudinally extending compartments, the outer two I G of which are of substantially equal width and the inner one I I of which is of substantially twice the width o1' a compartment III. partition 9 is of an insulating character, having insulation I2 incorporated therein throughout its extent.

The rear' or outside end of each compartment I and I I .has a respective openingY I3 and I4.

Claims. (Cl. 62-117) Each opening issubstantially as wide as the compartment and extends from approximately the floor level throughout the major portion of the height of the compartment.

The rear wall portion 4 of compartment II is of insulating character. Opening I4 is provided With a door I5, which is also insulated. (IDSpenings I3 are provided with respective'doors The forward or inside ends of compartments I0 are substantially fully open. The forward or inside end of compartment II has an opening I'I which is substantially the full width of the compartment and which extends throughout the major portion of the height of the compartment from a lower level spaced above oor 2 to an upper'level spaced below top wall 5. Opening II is provided with an insulated door I8, which is preferably in two sections as shown.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that compartment I I is substantially fully insulated. In accordance with the invention, such insulated compartment is refrigerated in any suitable manner. As shown, a standard cold plate I9 is mounted in the upper portion of the compartment, the plate being connected through pipes 20 to a suitable source of refrigerant, such as a compressor 2| mounted on the vehicle. 4

The operators cab 8 is generally of the same height as that of section 1, such height being preferably suflicient to permit the operator to assume a substantially upright or standing position in the cab. Each side of the cab is provided with a door opening 22 and a door 22, which is preferably of the sliding type, as shown. A step 23 leads from the lower level of each door to the floor 2' of the cab. A bucket type operators seat 24 is provided and preferably such seat is forwardly movable to a position under the steering wheel 25, when not in use. As shown, the seat is mounted on rollers 26 which engage a pair of inclined tracks 21. Means 28 for locking the seat in driving position may be provided, and on release of such means, the seat slides forwardly automatically.l Such forward movement of the seat is of convenience to the operator in providing extra space in the cab for load-handling and also in providing a clear passage beu tween the doors 22. Preferably, there is also in the cab a free oor space 29 rearwardly of the doors 22 and adjacent transverse partition -6.

The truck body in accordance with the invention is particularly applicable to the delivery of milk. As is well known, milk is usually han'- 32. Also preferably, compartment II may have' `two pairs of laterally alignedeeaserisuppnnting rails 33 mounted on the oor thereof, .the latter rails being adaptedrto facilitate' "ei'cientvand convenient arrangement ofczasesqint theggcompartment II. It will be apparentthatathegar- Y rangement contemplated consists in thestacking of the cases in two longitudinal rows. It' is substantially important` that, for the eicient 'r *handling` and" deliveryof--milk, thei-truck-body follow-to 4some degree-certainei dimensional-re- -r1uirements. v"The following'dimensionsfare' given f byway of example:

`The'preferred manner `of utilizing, the. vehicle described'is as follows:

'The'freshly pasteurized oriotherwise processed milk"'is,-`direetly followingbottlingfand casing,

loaded'rinto' the urefrigerated 4`compartment c -I I throught-rear door'1'I5. *This-Will usuallybecar- W=ried out-during the evening'- or night hours,V` and the truck will then be stored until delivery-bf @milk-beginslthevfollowing morning. *During the r "fpe'riod of'storage, the'cold'plate" *I Seis connected -directlyY to Ytlfie mainfrefrigeration outletofl'the 'dai-ry'Y plantror the cozrlpressorv 2 I*is-connected to Y an` electric currentv4 outlet toe oper'atethe"` same.

When I the 4-truck' v`operator?begins 'deliveryf the f "connection fis 'disconnected'fithe celda-plate AI9 -being suiiciently charged-fior the days `run.

- 1 During delivery-V proceduref'* the operator may =remove-,-say,Ithree:cases at: a time ffrom compartspacef-ZS beingprovidedtof..accommodate such casesv andto constitute a rsales platform. The `Flower edge' -of door! IS-isfspa'ced asuicient' distance above 'lthe floorldlevel, .asf-shown," toY clear -theltop 'offa case positioned-f.ftherebelow Removal -of at least threel casesvatt aitime reduces very Vgreatly l:the numberofltimesi the refrigerated compartment must-. be opened during I: delivery r procedure. "Thus, 'considerable economy i: and eiciencyA in :refrigeration vlthereof results. f. As f each v'case "is emptied, 'it-fis fstackedwin lone or other Vof the Ioperr-compartments- II D.

Following 'completion' -off."the--delive1y `-procedure; the emptycasesf are fremovedffrom 4comepartmentsf- I through-:fthe rear?fdoors-TI 6,== and Anum- 4 the re-loading compartment II proceeded with as above outlined.

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body for the handling of cases of milk and delivery therefrom comprising a door and top, side and rear walls, a transversely extending partition dividing the body into a for- -`wantsmrator's. cab anda rearwardJoad-carrysection, @a pair of .insulated :partitions l0V extending longitudinally of said rearward section and dividing the latter into a central insulated compartment and a pair of outer compartments, sarplurality-.ottdodrs in said rear wall one leading ,tinto one onlygeach of said compartments, said l5` transverse partition having therein a door leadfring-gintoesaidneentral compartment and an opent ing-reewfrom closure means leading into each of s aid.outer compartments, and a cold plate mounted in said central insulated compartment for refrigeratng the latter, said outer compart- --ments beingV Yunrefrigerai'fed,A said central-compartment beingn arrangedc tta-receive a plurality ofFV full casesf of-milk;\-and V:said outer compartvments-having acombined capacitysubstantially equal torthat of said eentral econnoartment1V to receive all-'oftthefcaseseiromithe central compartment-whew empty.

2 f-A vehicle body for-the handling--- ofecases of mi-'lk andf delivery Vtherefromcomprising aflfloor and top, side and rearrwalls,aftransverselyfex- Ytending* partition" dividingdthemody into-A aiI :for-

` rying section, arpa-irV Jofiinsulated-partitions extending'.v longitudinallyI ofgsaidfrearwa'rd section 3s and `dividing the llatter .tinto .central insulated compartment and ap'airoi'outer compartments,

a -sing1e-pair ofwlon'gitudinallye extending4 supporting rails in each of said outer compartments ffto' receive a singlef-staclt` ofwcases, .two pairs of 40 longitudinal-1yrextendingsupporting rails .-in. said TAVcentral compartment lto :receive ra' double stack :of vcases,rthe Lcombined case-.receiving -capacity f f of:A saidy outer compartments-'whereby being Y sub- 'fstantially equalf toeithatofesaid.:central com- 5-1 par.tment-, saide transverse. partition; havingv therein a door leading-:toesaid central--rcompartmen f and: an openingtfree'` fromclosurezmearls iealding to each -of-.saidp-.outer :compartmentsnag plurality ofr doorsinrsaid .mart-wan one leadingintoiaone 5c only-zof-zeach or :saidecompartmentsteand; a; cold platen mounted :ing-:said: central ,.insulatedecpm- :s 4partment :ionretrigeratingtheylatter; said; Guter compartments ,Y beins-aunrefrigerated.

3.1:Arwehicle: bodyg; s :defined :in .fclaim- 2 said .55 cab having a free ioor space-tadiacent said j. transversepartitiontgthelowenendpf said door .ingffthegtransverseg, partitionl hei-ng, spaced f above the oorfinthe cab adistance jotatYleast-thirteen inchesfwhereby said door.,-mayswing, over cases 4. A vehiclevbQdyg-tfor-ethe handling, of l.case prof :fmilk .ziand delivery-v. therefromfr, comprising@ a floor, andtop, Sideand great vta-11s. aftransversely g extending o partitionfzgdivA ing tliezflfiodyf into; a

means in said central insulated compartment,

for refrigerating the latter, said outer compartments being unrefrlgerated, said central compartment being arranged to receive a plurality of full cases of milk, and said outer compartments having a combined capacity substantially equal to that of said central compartment to,"

receive all of the cases from the central compartment when empty.

5. A vehicle body as dened in claim 4, said cab having a door in each side wall in opposite relation to each other and having a free floorv space rearwardly of said cab doors and adjacent said transverse partition, said iloor space havlng a width of at least twelve inches to receive at least one of said cases, the lower end of said door in the transverse partition being spaced above the floor in the cab a distance of at least thirteen inches whereby said partition door may swing over a case lying on said floor space.

PAUL `KROHNERT.

REFERENCES CITED,

The following references arevof record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

